In manufacturing certain products, end cap seaming machines are used to seal an end of a target object, such as an exhaust muffler. In manufacturing exhaust mufflers, a middle muffler body section is formed which has end portions. End cap seaming machines are used to bond an end cap to an end portion using a cold locking process to bond the ends of the muffler body section.
Existing end cap seaming machines may be costly and limited in the shape of the objects which can be processed. End cap seaming machines typically use hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders to actuate rollers that bond the end caps to the target object. Hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders use compressible fluids which cause lag in the associated control systems, which may reduce the accuracy and responsiveness of the system. The most common end cap seaming process uses an expensive cam track design which guides rollers along the surface of the target object. Other end cap seaming machines without cam tracks may use forming arms with linkages to guide the rollers. The forming arm and linkage designs may reduce motion accuracy of the rollers, increase costs, and add potential failure points. There is an industry need for a less expensive, more accurate, and more reliable machine and process for seaming end caps.